A correlation analysis between pulse transit time and instantaneous blood pressure measured indirectly by the...

Linear correlation coefficients (r) between pulse transit time (PTT) and blood pressure (BP) were evaluated on within-subject by within-condition level. Beat-to-beat systolic and diastolic BP was measured noninvasively using the vascular unloading technique (Yamakoshi, Shimazu and Togawa, 1980). PTT was determined from the time interval between the R-wave of ECG and the peak of the finger pulse wave. Five male subjects underwent a 2 min resting (RE), a 1 min cold pressor test (CP), eight 15 sec anagram tests (AN), and another 1 min CP. Significant r values were most frequently obtained for systolic BP and PTT in the RE condition. Under the CP or AN conditions, no consistent tendencies were observed. It was suggested that none of the r values are sufficiently high to warrant the use of PTT as an alternative index of BP. Some factors lowering the r values were discussed.